SERIAN: ‘Kusong’, a ballad performed by Jasmine John and Michael Gayut, was crowned champion at the 10th Bidayuh Song Chart Award (Anugerah Carta Lagu Bidayuh or ACLB), held at Dataran Mutiara Tebedu last night (May 24).
The song, which means “emptiness” in Bidayuh, was inspired by the artists’ personal experiences with loss and grief.
Jasmine, who wrote and performed the song alongside Michael, said the lyrics came from a deeply personal place.
“This is a true story from our family. Michael also lost a family member, and we talked about our experiences before creating this song,” she told the media after receiving the award.
She added that producing the song was technically demanding, requiring four vocal coaching sessions to prepare for the performance.
Michael, who runs a business in Kuala Lumpur, said they had received encouraging feedback from non-Bidayuh listeners in Peninsular Malaysia.

“Many of our friends from the peninsula loved the song.
“Some even said it’s suitable for mainstream release and could be used as a soundtrack,” said Michael, who has been involved in the Bidayuh music industry for over four decades.
Second place went to band YY Phang with their song ‘Ngarah’, while Valerie Thiam secured third place with her track ‘Setia’.
Band D’Jegan took home the Most Popular Song award with ‘Ditik Dinok Ranchak’, and the Best Vocal Performance award went to Wooden Gun for ‘Megau Jawa Siru’, sung by Daren.
Reflecting on the future of Bidayuh music, Jasmine stressed the importance of maintaining high standards, particularly in lyrical composition.
“We need evaluators who understand good songwriting, like RTM’s panel.
“I hope only quality songs make it into the competition. I want people to change their mindset, to start writing songs that can compete with those from the peninsula,” she said.
Michael also expressed hope that ACLB would one day be recognised in the Best Presentation category, noting the positive momentum within the industry.
“There’s a surge in new genres and talented newcomers. We need more intellectual contributors, those who understand songwriting and voice performance, to elevate Bidayuh music further,” he said.